Bhopal: Rs 5 lakh for vector, epidemic control not enough, says Cong

Seventy-five H1N1 flu and six dengue deaths later epidemic and vector control section continues to remain low on Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) priority list.

Updated on: Apr 3, 2015, 17:41:05 IST

Hindustan Times | By Shruti Tomar, Bhopal

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Seventy-five H1N1 flu and six dengue deaths later epidemic and vector control section continues to remain low on Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) priority list.

The-Bharatiya-Janata-Party-continues-to-pass-the-buck-and-says-epidemic-control-was-the-responsibility-of-the-health-department-HT-file

The municipal budget has apportioned just Rs 5 lakh for epidemic and vector control.

A total of Rs 2,700 crore budget was tabled by mayor Alok Sharma on March 31.

"The BMC (has) increased the budget for purchasing fogging machines, but that is not sufficient,” a municipal officer, on condition of anonymity, said.

"Primarily (the) health department deals (with) dengue and H1N1 spread, but the BMC is also shares the burden of regulating it…We were expecting more budget for epidemic and vector control so that we could control the situation."

Criticising the budget, Congress corporator Girish Sharma said, "The new mayor-in-council (has) focused more on (the) engineering department and on making (Bhopal) a smart city. In the budget, Rs 102 crore have been allocated for parking only. But, they should have kept in mind that these things could be looked after by other departments. To keep the city clean and control mosquito growth in water tanks is the primary duty of (the) BMC."

Corporators have also accused the mayor of ignoring slum development in the budget. Only Rs 20 lakh has been earmarked for slum development and rehabilitation in the budget, while Rs 2.45 crore has been allocated for developing amusement centre and museum and Rs 6.92 crore for community and marriage centre.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, continued to pass the buck and said epidemic control was the health department's responsibility.

"We have just secured a head (in the budget) so that we could get funds in case of epidemic. This is basically the work of health department, not the BMC's," mayor-in-council member and senior BJP corporator KM Soni said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Home/Cities/Bhopal News/Bhopal: Rs 5 Lakh For Vector, Epidemic Control Not Enough, Says Cong